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Well, news hit Friday and it was everything we feared.
Our company is not renewing our building lease and is closing our division.
We have all been fearing this since last November when some of our customers (Harley Davidson, Caterpillar, SSI, Snap-On) pushed back install dates into forecasts for 2010 while other customers canceled orders. The final nail in the coffin was losing out on an Electro Motive Diesel job in January that we wanted to secure by last December. Without the ability to secure these jobs our profits for the 2009 year were slowly disappearing or being pushed into 2010.
With the cut backs and layoffs at both Harley Davidson and Caterpillar, our usefulness as a Robotics Integrator wasn't clear for this year.

So it was announced at our 9am meeting Friday by two corporate reps that we would be closing our doors. The hardest thing to deal with right now is the fact that we didn't really do anything wrong. Everything we had finished we had done well, and everything we were working had been going smoothly, but without a customer a business can't be successful.

I had the analogy, "you could make the best gloves in the world, but if no one ever got cold hands you'd be out of business"

We are masters of the craft, but with the trouble and hardships our current customers are going through we don't see the money and business coming back to us again.

It's unfortunate, as I loved the people I worked with, I loved that I was so close to home, and I loved where the job was taking me and the things I took away from it.

As of next Thursday, I along with 40 other people at our building will all be out of a job.

What does this mean for me? Well I'm keeping my Fett, but I'll be cutting back on a lot of things. I already have some stuff up in the cargo hold but will be adding to it.
I was already offered a managerial position at another company, but it isn't in the Automation industry where I'd prefer to stay. If it is my best option at the time though I'll go with it until I get fully on my feet again. When I told my family about the news, they were very supportive, and my girlfriend is helping me emotionally too, but almost is taking it harder than me as she is really worried for me right now.

I don't expect to be making the same kind of money right away, so my aspirations to purchase a home are fading away at the moment.

I'm hoping I can get everything figured out, but I thought I'd let my other family 'TDH' know too.

I'll miss working with Robots everyday...hopefully I get back on this track again someday.

Well, it seems to be the wave taking the nation right now, and in short it sucks....
I hope for the best for you and yours and that the economy gets jump started, the sooner the better and you get back into your field.
Losing employment is one thing, losing a job you really enjoy is even worse.
I hope for the best for you.

Carnegie Mellon Univ. here in Pgh has a big Robotics division, is relocating an option ?

I can sympathise with you buddy as I went through almost exactly the same problem just over a year ago, everything was going great with our company and we were in the middle of a takeover which would have doubled our capacity as a manufacturing firm, suddenly the other company pulled out and pulled a lot of their products out from our order books, I mean literally about 75% and so within a week the company was gone, I was about to get a mortgage to buy my first property and in a way I was LUCKY, as had I gone ahead I would've really struggled, its great that you have a job offer so soon, go at it 100% like I am sure you will and you will soon feel a whole lot better, it sucks having to initially be on less money as you obivously worked hard for your previous salary but you'll get there! The very best of luck to you!

Two months ago, i had to close my bussines after 13 years (Real Estate). I had to fire 6 people, and paid them for that. I placed a post some time ago saying that this year and the next one its goint to be a very difficult one.

Well. I've been "unemployed" for the past 3 years or so. So, I became SELF employed. Still a struggle, but things are really looking up! And I have really seen what "things happen for a reason" really means!!

man, I feel for you. I was laid off last year so I know what you are going through. I can only give you the advice I followed. It has seemed to work for me my whole life. When you go looking for a job (if you dont take the one you were offered) act like you dont need it.. its strange but seems to ring true in this messed up world... have it instilled in your head that THEY need you, that an opportunity has came up to where THEY can benefit by hiring you... I hope everything works out for you!! my fingers are crossed!!

As people spend less money companies are going under for lack of customers. Unfortunately, it becomes a vicious cycle feeding on itself. I even heard some experts talk about a 10 year recession. I hope they are wrong. I'm in the same boat that you are. Thank God for unemployment, but when that runs out then what? There are more people than jobs. Hopefully, the politicians will quit fighting and do something to get the economy on an even keel. Keep your head up. Things will turn around.

I know exactly how you feel as I too went through this in '06. I had a very hard time dealing with it and "moving on". It took the better of two years and a lot of heartache as I had been there for 16 years....I was only 19 when I started and basically just a kid. The most important thing to remember is to cherish the good times you had and let that chapter of your life come to an end and to open a new one.

You will find gainful employment again and build new meaningful relationships again. Keep in touch with your old co-workers for sake of good friendships and for sake of networking to a new job.

sorry to hear it dude...it really is a shame......and from the looks of our economy it is only gonna get worst b4 it will get better.....the average worker has to suffer because of what the banks did to us .....all thes nice cars and houses people was buying just because the banks said they aprove them even thoe the person could not afford them as it was then they raise the interst an make it harder and harder ....now look what has become of us.....really is a shame and i hope all goes well for ya

im sorry vod,i hate when bad things happen to the good ppl of this world. and i know with my heart that everymember here is one of those good people. this place is my family and it pains me to see my family when its down, this nation is in some deep trouble and its falling down upon the ppl i look up too. i hope that good fortune finds you soon,all of you. as mandalorians we always bounce back but this in no way means that its nessecary, the country needs to get a grip on itself and stop shaking up the lives of good people. im sorry that this has happened to you, i can only invision what your going through,ive never had a job,yet. but as i said earlier to me your all like big brothers or sisters and no one here has done anything to deserve this. Vods may the grace of God reach down and bless your lives,i wish for this and will pray for it to become true.

Sorry to hear that, man. I hope that things get better for you soon. If you decide to take the new job, I wish you the best of luck. Keep us posted so that we know how your are doing. Also, thanks for sharing this with us. That must have been a decision in itself. It is good for us to take care of eachother along the way. Take care!

Well, it seems to be the wave taking the nation right now, and in short it sucks....
I hope for the best for you and yours and that the economy gets jump started, the sooner the better and you get back into your field.
Losing employment is one thing, losing a job you really enjoy is even worse.
I hope for the best for you.

Carnegie Mellon Univ. here in Pgh has a big Robotics division, is relocating an option ?

Mike

Relocating isn't an option right now, as I actually went back to school for the company at night to advance my degree, which at the end of each semester they would pay for I still am going to finish because I love the field I am in and it will only help me get better jobs, it's just a shame I was literally going to school for free because I was a valued employee.
My girlfriend is also in school in the medical field so she would not be able to follow so it's a no on both ends.

DL44 Blaster said:

You will find gainful employment again and build new meaningful relationships again. Keep in touch with your old co-workers for sake of good friendships and for sake of networking to a new job.

Best of luck to you!!

Steve

We actually started an email list on Friday of phone numbers email addresses and personal contact information.

Many of these people have work together at various companies for the past 20 years, specifically when we branched off of robotics company ABB.

As people switched jobs a lot of people just followed each other around so not only is there a sense of talent in the crowd, but definitely chemistry that kept us smooth moving and high in morale.

It is tough to see this everywhere... and to look at all the economic indicators and see that it appears we have yet to see the worst of it. This is beyond politics and just about people and it is very sad to see so many suffering.

I got made redundant on the 5th January and am still awaiting my redundancy pay.My ex company is trying to survive,but they dug their own grave.Too much greed in the financial world.

I too worked in the automotive industry as a Wickman setter(plenty of those machines in detroit and chicago apparently) and gave eveything for the last 12 years.Its hard,and change is hard but ive got an angel for a wife and 4 gorgeous kids.